Six-Mile Loop
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: Tim's head snapped around to stare at Gibbs. "Wait, Ziva & I are what?" Their silver-haired leader turned back to his two youngest, standing by the plasma, coffee in hand. Gibbs stared at them, blinking once before heading to the director's office. "You're engaged." For Reader, JonnyP86 & everyone who's curious about 'Vancouver', 'cause I've mentioned it in a few other McGiva fics.
1. Chapter 1

**Six-Mile Loop**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Summary: Tim's head snapped around to stare at Gibbs. "Wait, Ziva and I are_ what_?" Their silver-haired leader turned back to his two youngest, standing by the plasma, coffee in hand. Gibbs stared at the two, blinking once before heading to the director's office. "You're engaged." For Reader, JonnyP86 and everyone else who's curious about 'Vancouver', because I've mentioned it in a few other of my McGiva fics.**

**A/N: The title comes from an interview done with Michael Weatherly, about running the six-mile loop that is Stanely Park in Vancouver. **

Tony looked up, to see McGee and Ziva enter together, steaming cups of coffee in their hands. Ziva tossed her hair over her shoulder, and dumped her gear at her desk before joining McGee at his. She perched on the edge of his desk, sipping her coffee. "What are you two discussing, McMossad?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Nothing of your concern, DiNozzo." McGee replied, logging onto his computer and pulling an image up. Ziva hopped off his desk and came around the look over his shoulder.

"Oh Tim, it is beautiful! And you went there last year?" He nodded, glancing at her.

"Yep. Last June. Sarah and I spent a few weeks at Lonsdale Quay and Vancouver Island, researching our roots." Ziva's eyebrows rose.

"I did not know you are Canadian, McGee." She said, reaching out and laying a hand on his shoulder. He nodded.

"On my dad's side. My mom's side is Irish."

"Penelope?" She asked, having met McGee's grandmother only once, when Sarah invited the team over for dinner at McGee's as a thank you for proving her innocence during a case. The older woman was an eccentric, regaling the team with wild tales of her days as a college student in the fifties and sixties, childhood mishaps involving both McGee siblings, and their family vacations in Canada.

"Yep. Penelope's half-Canadian, meaning so is my dad, and so are Sarah and I. So, _technically_, I have dual citizenship. When I was a kid, Sarah and I would spend our summers bouncing back and forth between Canada and America, spending one month in Vancouver, and the other whereever Mom and Dad were stationed. It was nice. I'd love to go up again sometime before June. Vancouver is absolutely gorgeous, especially in winter."

"I would love to see it someday." Ziva said, rubbing his back. "Maybe you could take me and show me around."

"You'll get your wish, Ziva." All three looked up as Gibbs came into the bullpen, coffee in hand. "Gear up." Instantly, all three grabbed their bags, but Gibbs looked up, eyes going from McGee to Ziva to Tony and back. Tony stood just outside the bullpen, and McGee and Ziva near the plasma, coffee still in hand. "What are you standing around for?"

"You told us to gear up, Boss." Tony said, causing Gibbs to turn to him. "So where're we headed?"

"Not you, DiNozzo. McGee and David." Gibbs said, turning back to the two. They shared a glance, confused.

"Why us, Boss?" McGee asked.

"The family of a marine's been kidnapped and taken up to Vancouver; mother killed, two daughters being held hostage. McGee, David, you two are heading up. You're gonna get the girls out." McGee glanced at Ziva, brow furrowed.

"Why me, Boss?" Gibbs turned back to him.

"Because you're part Canadian, right?" He nodded. "So, you're a dual citizen, you'll get into the country easily. Take Ziva with you; she's your fiancee. You're engaged." McGee and Ziva nodded, not fully registering. McGee registered his words first, and choked on his coffee; his head snapping up to stare at Gibbs, wide-eyed.

"Wait, Ziva and I are _what_?" He cried; the words finally registered with Ziva, and she choked, spewing coffee all over the floor and McGee. Tony snorted, trying to hide his laughter at the 'class spit take'. Their silver-haired leader turned back to his two youngest, standing by the plasma screen, coffee in hand, twn looks of shock on their faces. Gibbs just stared at the two, blinking once before heading up to the director's office. As he started up the stairs, he said,

"You're engaged."

McGee turned to Ziva. "I get the whole 'easier to slip into the country', but do we really have to-" He winced as a wad of paper hit the back of his head, and after a moment, he turned, to see Vance and Gibbs on the landing; the latter beckoning them both to follow. Seeing Vance where Jenny used to be still stung; even though a year and a half had passed, they were all still smarting from her violent death, for only the team knew the truth. A moment passed, before Ziva and McGee followed, the door to the director's office eventually shutting behind them. They stood beside Gibbs, backs straight, heads up, waiting for their orders. Silently, Vance dropped two files in front of them. He nodded towards the sofa at the other side of the room.

"Sit." As they all took seats, McGee picked up one of the folders, looking through it. "I trust Agent Gibbs has briefed you on your assignment." The pair shared a look, before turning back to Gibbs and Vance. The director sighed, and spoke. "Marine William Samuel's wife and two daughters were taken from their home by a Jake Reynolds. The wife was killed, and Rynolds took their two daugthers and fled the country. From what our sources say, they're currently in Vancouver. Samuel's is currently serving in Iraq, but he's been updated on the situation."

"So what do this have to do with Ziva and I pretending to be engaged?" McGee asked, as Ziva picked up her folder and began flipping through it.

"We need eyes and ears on the trio-"

"Then why not use the Vancouver-"

"Because they asked us for help. The man and the girls are American. They are asking us save our own. They will be there if you need them, but ultimately, it is up to you." Vance said, cutting Ziva off. He slid a credit card towards McGee. "NCIS is paying for this, your hotel, everything. You need to make sure you get the girls out safely."

"But why not T-"

"Because Agent DiNozzo is too reckless. He's a good agent, but for something this delicate, we need someone who won't jump at the first signs of fire- as was the consequence of his last undecover case. You and Agent David are both anaylitical. You will think before you act and figure out the safest way to get the girls out alive. Now head home, pack your bags, and meet back here. You leave in two hours. Study your personas, know them well, and do not forget your passports. I'd hate to leave two of my best agents in Canada because one of you forgot your papers." Without a word, they got up, leaving Gibbs and Vance alone. Once the door closed and Vance returned to his desk, Gibbs locked the door, going to the director. Leaning over the desk, he whispered,

"If anything happens to _either_ of them, Leon, I am holding_ you_ responsible."


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Thanks to JonnyP86 for reviewing 1.**

Both McGee and Ziva were back at NCIS in an hour, their bags packed and their papers in hand. They stood by the elevator, waiting for Gibbs and Vance. Abby, Ducky, and Palmer had come up from processing the evidence given to them to give their findings, only to find Vance and Gibbs heading towards McGee and Ziva. "If you don't mind my asking, Jethro, what's going on?" Ducky asked, as Abby, Tony and Palmer joined him at the entrance to the bullpen. "Where exactly are you taking young Timothy and Ziva?"

Gibbs turned back as the others entered the elevator, glancing at the rest of his team. A moment passed, before he said, "Tim and Ziva aren't here, Duck. Meet Niall Donovan and Anastasia Cerra."

"Wait, so McGee and David are... going undercover..." Tony asked, his face falling. The two agents in question grinned at him, before Ziva snatched McGee's car keys out of his hand. She smirked, waving them.

"I am driving, _Niall_." She said, but he quickly grabbed the keys. Ziva, however, refused to let them go, and they stood in the elevator, staring each other down.

"It's my car, _Nastya_." He replied, using a diminutive for her. "Therefore, I am driving." And he wrenched the keys from her hand. She glared at him, pouting as she crossed her arms.

"They're already acting like they're married." Palmer chuckled, causing Tony, Abby and Ducky to turn back to look at him.

* * *

"Go over your profiles, memorize them. You'll keep us updated; the Vancouver team has already got everything set up in your hotel. There is also a safe house ready when you two get the girls into your custody. You'll be moved there as soon as that happens. Gibbs and the Vancouver team are waiting for your cue. We're counting on you two." And without another word, Vance stepped back. McGee and Ziva turned to Gibbs. Their team leader stood watching them silently, before pressing a kiss to first Ziva's cheek and then McGee's.

"Protect each other. Not just in your cover stories, but in reality. Rule Seven-"

"'Always be specific when you lie.'" They answered automatically. He nodded, before leaning towards Ziva.

"Remember that McGee is your partner. He has your six, and you have his. Always." She nodded as he turned to McGee. In a soft whisper, he said, "Don't let Ziver out of your sight, and she won't let you of hers. Hold tight to her. You never let her go. Understood?" The younger man nodded, as Gibbs stepped back. "Good luck. You know where to reach us." McGee and Ziva shared a glance, before heading towards the plane.

* * *

McGee looked up from studying their profiles, as Ziva returned from the restroom. "You okay?" She nodded.

"Yes. I just hate ascending; I have never liked it, since I was a little girl. It makes me sick- the realization that my feet leave the ground-" She shivered, and McGee reached out subconsciously, taking her hand and squeezing gently. She noticed, but kept her mouth shut; they were supposed to be engaged, after all. Engaged and spending two weeks in Vancouver as they looked for an apartment to rent, to be closer to their new jobs that they'd just transferred to. "What are you looking at?" She asked, leaning close.

"Our profiles." He replied in a soft voice. They were seated in first class, in the back, near the curtain, so as not to be disturbed. Ziva leaned to look over McGee's shoulder, her hair brushing against his cheek.

"What do they say?" She asked, her breath warm on his skin. He turned to glance at her, their noses brushing. A moment of awkward silence passed between them, before Tim turned back to the profiles.

"Well, I'm a high-up technical engineer for a company called Cross Photonics," Ziva raised an eyebrow. "And you are the Head of Security for the same company. Cross Photonics." They shared a look.

"Head of Security? Cool." She shrugged, settling back in her seat. "What else does it say?" He quickly skimmed the profile.

"We met at a performance of _AIDA_ at the Metropolitan Opera in D.C., went out for coffee, and started dating... they threw a lot of our personal profiles into these. Probably trying to keep them as specific as possible." Ziva nodded, leaning close.

"What else does it say?" She asked. "Any children?" Her eye lit briefly, and McGee rolled his eyes.

"Definately not. We just got engaged two months ago after dating for four years." He raised an eyebrow. "They even have a fictional wedding date set."

"For when?" Ziva asked, enjoying this game of Hide and Seek. He pushed the profiles towards her.

"May Fourth, Two-Thousand-Ten." Ziva raised her eyebrows, reading the date.

"Short engagement-" She said.

"Long marriage." McGee finished for her, on her train of thought. They spent the next several hours skimming their profiles and getting acquainted with their characters. Over coffee and tea, they chatted about things described in their "pasts," from when they'd gone backpacking through Ireland to when they'd toured the Forbidden City in China and visited the Tower of London in England. At one point, one of the stewardesses asked about their engagement, and Ziva panicked, realizing that she wasn't wearing a ring.

"I... I... I... I must have left it at the airport..." She stammered, panic beginning to fill her gaze. She turned to McGee. "I am sorry, Niall, I know it was your grandmother's ring-" But he rummaged around his pocket, extracting a small metal box and opening it. At the relieved surprise on Ziva's face, he said,

"I grabbed it after you passed through security clearance because I knew you would forget, and returned it to the box. I forgot it was in my pocket, otherwise I would have returned it to you while we were waiting for the plane." He said, removing the silver band with the simple pearl and diamond design. A moment passed, before he slipped the ring onto her finger, pressing a kiss to her knuckles before saying, "Try not to forget it next time, Nastya." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I know, I'm just so excited to be going up to Vancouver." She turned to the stewardess, holding out her hand as she spoke. "Ni is part Canadian, he would spend his summers in Vancouver. And since we're both transferring there for work, we decided to take a couple weeks off and go up so he could show me around the city and we could look for an apartment." She shrugged, grinning. She and the stewardess talked for another few minutes before she left to check on other passengers with a Congratulations. Once she was gone, Ziva turned to McGee, eyes wide.

"You did fine." He said.

"Thank you, Tim. For saving me back there." She whispered. He chuckled.

"I've got your six, remember?" She nodded, her gaze going to the ring on her finger. She started to take it off, but turned to him. "Keep it on, until we're done with the case. It's more convincing than any story we could ever weave."

"How did you end up having it in your pocket?" She asked, studying the ring.

"Sarah gave it to me the last time she was down to visit. I was going to put it in my safety deposit box yesterday when Gibbs gave us this assignment. Never got a chance too." He shrugged. "Good thing I didn't." She nodded, sighing as they locked eyes.

"Yes, good thing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

By the time they'd passed through Customs, gotten their luggage and made it to the hotel, it was two in the morning. Both were exhausted, and after changing into their pajamas, crawled into bed together, passing out from jet lag as soon as their heads hit the pillows.

When Tim awoke at oh-five-hundred- not even being in another country could break that habit- Ziva was wrapped around him so tightly that it felt as though he were being hugged by a constrictor. Several minutes passed before he was able to extract himself and slip out of bed, grabbing his profile and taking a seat at the table, flipping through it.

_Niall Donovan, age twenty-nine_

_Two degrees in Techincal engineering, from MIT_

_Met Anastasia Cerra in two-thousand-five, and started dating not long after_

_Worked at a small technical firm in San Francisco before being promoted and moving to D.C., _

_Became engaged to Anastasia two months prior to now_

_Transferring to Vancouver for job_

"Going over our profiles again?" He jumped, turning to see Ziva standing behind him, her hair disheveled, her clothing rumpled. He grabbed the stitch in his chest.

"Don't do that, Ziva!" He snapped; she yawned an apology, before heading for the bathroom and starting the shower.

* * *

By the time oh-eight-hundred rolled around, they'd settled into their room and those from the Vancouver office were over helping them with the equipment, wiring and micing them. The team- as well as Gibbs and Vance and the others at NCIS, who would be watching from MTAC, could hear and also respond- would be able to watch from the connected computers and the small cameras hidden in their clothing. When the last guy left to start the footage in the other room, McGee pulled on his jacket. "Ziva, you ready? I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

The bathroom door opened and she stepped out, causing McGee to turn. "Is that all can think about, Tim? Your stomach?" She asked, going to him. "You are as bad as Tony." She said. He rolled his eyes, grabbing his messenger bag and slinging it over the shoulder of his blue button down as he followed her.

"Only when we haven't eaten since yesterday morning." He replied, holding the door open for her. Gibbs, Tony and Vance, down in MTAC, watched as they stepped into the hall and headed for the elevators. Another couple was already waiting, and the woman glanced at the agents. Her eyes sparked at the sight of the ring on Ziva's finger.

"Oh, that's beautiful!" Ziva looked down at her hand, momentarily forgetting what it was and why it was there.

"Thank you." She whispered, as she let the woman get a closer look.

"Here on your honeymoon?" She asked, eyes alight. Ziva smiled at her.

"Not yet." She glanced back at McGee. "We only got engaged a couple months ago. We are moving up here for work, but Niall decided that we should take a week or two to look for apartments." She said, as McGee slipped his arm around her waist.

"Then you should check out West Point Grey, they have some affordable apartments and wonderful housing areas. I used to live here when I was a child; I live in the States now, but my husband and I come back to visit." McGee gave her a gentle smile.

"We'll do that, thank you."

* * *

They'd wandered around downtown before stopping at a small diner for breakfast. Once the waitress took their orders and left, McGee turned his attention back to the window, directly across from Stanley Park. With their earpieces and cameras on, the others could see and hear everything. "So are we going to go searching for the man and those two girls or-" Ziva started, but McGee's sudden start at her voice stopped her. "Are you okay, Tim?" She whispered. He nodded.

"Yeah, just... Penelope used to take Sarah and I to Stanley Park all the time. It's kind of like Central in New York. And Stanley- it's a huge, six-mile loop, the whole park. When I was a kid, Sarah and I would race around the park, while Penny watched from this diner. We always returned, we knew better. There's... strange things that go on in that park, so we watched each others' backs." She reached out, taking his hand and squeezing gently.

"Once we get settled, we will have to go running around it sometime." Ziva said, leaning close as the waitress arrived. They quickly parted. After she left, they fell into soft conversation about their case, where to start and how to find the girls. Eventually, though, their conversations soon turned to other things, and they found themselves laughing over the string of cheese that refused to leave Ziva's fork every time she took a bite of her omelet, or the maple syrup that had been on McGee's whole wheat pancakes and somehow ended up in his coffee. She laughed, as he grimaced.

"Yeah, syrup and coffee don't mix." He said, setting his cup down. "Oh shut up!" But Ziva kept laughing, snorting softly.

"The look on your face-" She choked out, managing to get herself under control by the time the check arrived. They both instinctively reached for it, their gazes locking. The waitress watched, her gaze going from McGee to Ziva and back.

_"Oh, this is going to be good."_ Tony whispered into Tim's ear. _"Battle to the death over who gets the check. Let's see who comes out on top: the computer geek or the ninja."_

"I'll get it." McGee said, instantly pulling the check towards him, but Ziva pulled it back.

"There is no need, _Niall_. I can get it this time. You paid for lunch yesterday." She said, giving him a forced smile. He pulled it towards himself again.

"And you paid for the takeout we had for dinner_ last_ night. Therefore, it's my turn to pay for breakfast, _Nastya_." She refused to relinquish her hold on the check.

"I do not mind, _Ni_. I am a big girl, I can pay."

"But you're also my _fiancee_, and therefore, it is my_ treat_." The waitress's eyes widened, and she turned to Ziva.

"You're engaged?" Ziva's head snapped to the side, her grip on the check loosening enough that McGee was able to grab it and pull out a few bills. When she'd realized what had happened, she turned back to McGee, narrowing her eyes.

"You did that on purpose." She growled. He raised an eyebrow, getting up and slinging his messenger over his shoulder. When he helped her up, he leaned down, whispering,

"_Me_? Do something like that on purpose? Nastya, you know me better than that." And he quickly and sweetly pressed a kiss to her lips. _Don't enjoy it, don't enjoy it,_ was the mantra he forced himself to repeat. All too soon, they'd parted, and Ziva stood, taking his hand.

"You are lucky you are cute." She replied, gently smacking his cheek in that affectionate way of hers. McGee turned back to the waitress.

"Keep the change." And then he took Ziva's hand, allowing her to pull him out of the diner.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to alix33 for reviewing 1; mcgeeksgirl and SylwiaUni for reviewing 3; and Reader for reviewing 1, 2, and 3.**

"It is absolutely beautiful here, Tim." Ziva whispered, as they walked through Stanley Park. She clung to his arm, drinking in the colors and sounds around her. She'd never been to a park as beautiful as this. They walked with hot cups of coffee in their hands, keeping close together. McGee had taken his camera out of his bag, and it now hung around Ziva's neck. Suddenly, they stopped. "Tim, what is it?" She glanced behind her, but he suddenly took a seat on the bench they'd stopped by, pulling her with him. "Tim, what is going on?" But he pressed a soft kiss to her lips, whispering,

"I think I see the girls." He nodded over her head, and Ziva glanced over her shoulder. She could see two young girls- one about eight, the other about ten- coming their way; a man followed, keeping close watch on them both. Both girls had dark curls, and were dressed in t-shirts, sneakers and jeans, they looked thin, pale, frightened, holding melting ice cream cones that obviously hadn't been enjoyed. As they got closer, Ziva turned back to him.

"Are you sure those are-" He nodded.

"Remember their photos? Look at the older one. She's got a pink bow in her hair." When Ziva glanced back, she did indeed see a bright pink bow in the older girl's hair.

"What do we do? Tim?" But he didn't say anything; instead, he took her chin in his hand and pressed his lips to hers. Startled at first, she soon fell into the role, wrapping an arm around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Her dark eyes closed as McGee's eyes opened, watching the girls as they passed with the man behind them. The oldest one turned back to stare at him, her mouth open as if about to speak, her eyes wide, and quickly- with his mouth still on Ziva's- he lifted the camera around Ziva's neck, aimed it, and snapped a shot before they disappeared. Once he was sure they were gone, he broke the kiss, giving her a small smile.

"I got it." He whispered.

"Got what?" She asked, confused, her eyes alight with desire. McGee shook his head, and stood once she'd climbed to her feet, taking her hand.

"Come on. We need to call Gibbs."

* * *

"You're certain you saw those two girls, Agent McGee?" Vance asked. McGee nodded for the fourth time. They'd returned to their hotel room, instantly uploaded the photograph, and began comparing it to the images of the girls on their files.

"Absolutely, Director." Tim said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "They were terrified; and the older one- she had a pink bow in her hair, like Samuels said. It's them."

"Forgive us for not exactly believing your positive ID when you had your tongue shoved down Ziva's throat, McSuckFace." Tony muttered, only to have Gibbs smack him hard on the back of the head.

"I'm _positive,_ Tony." McGee replied, leaning on the back of the chair. Ziva looked up from her book, and climbed off the bed, joining them.

"What did they say?" She asked; he turned to her.

"What do you think?" He offered, and she nodded.

"Oh." Ziva turned to Gibbs, who'd remained silent. "You believe us, do you not, Gibbs?" She asked. Their team leader glanced at Vance.

"Abby's done a facial recognition on the photograph, everything matches." He turned back to the pair. "Get close to them."

"We'll try, Boss-" McGee started.

"No, McGee, you _will_. Now do it!" And without another word, he left MTAC, Tony on his heels to start checking bank accounts. The pair turned back to Vance. The director watched the two agents for several minutes, before saying,

"The restaurant at the hotel faxed over their list of reservations; Reynolds has a reservation for three tonight at eight. I want you at his table, talking with him, meeting the girls, gleaming every ounce of information you can over dinner, is that clear?" Both nodded. "Good. Change the tapes, and get dressed. You have a dinner reservation to keep."

* * *

Tim pulled on his jacket, buttoning it quickly. Ever since Vance had told them to get as close as they could to Reynolds and the girls, the only thing McGee could concentrate on was dinner, with Ziva, in a nice restaurant. Both were wired, their ear pieces taken out and left in the room, yet the team could hear and see everything being recorded. As he fixed his tie, his gaze flicked to the door of the bathroom in the mirror, and he stopped.

Ziva stepped out, and he slowly turned to face her.

The dress was simple; strapless with a sweetheart bodice and a corseted back, it brushed the floor, accenting her curves. There was a simple silver buckle at the left side of her gown, that the rusching started from. just below her bust. The gown was a deep, dark emerald, and she wore her simple gold Star of David and Tim's engagement ring. Her hair was piled up on her head in dark curls, small strands loose and sticking to her neck and cheeks. She wore a pair of black heels, bringing her so she was at his shoulder. She glanced down at the dress. "How do I look?"

It took several minutes for McGee to find his voice. "Um... you... you look... beautiful." She blushed, going to him.

"Thank you." She whispered, holding out her hand. He took it, tugging her gently to his side. Before they left the room, McGee checked one last time that everything was turned on, so that any evidence they gleamed was recorded.

"Ready?" He asked, holding out his arm. She smiled, taking his arm and slipping her own through his.

* * *

"Unfortunately, you're going to have to share your table with a gentleman and his two daughters-" The hostess started, but McGee cut her off.

"That's perfectly all right." Ziva pouted, turning to him.

"But Niall, I wanted to spend some time alone with my fiance." She purred softly. McGee met her gaze.

"We will spend plenty of time together later, Nastya." He whispered, kissing her sweetly. As the hostess led them to the their table, McGee nodded towards the two girls. "There they are." Ziva nodded. After some akward conversation, they were all seated; Ziva and McGee on the outside of each girl.

"So, tell me, Jake, what do you do for a living?" McGee asked, as Ziva sipped her water and glanced at the younger girl next to her. While McGee kept the man occupied, Ziva leaned close to the girl.

"What is your name?" She asked softly. The child looked up at her, dark eyes bright at Ziva's soft smile. A moment passed, as the girl glanced at the man, before turning back to Ziva.

"Amy." She whispered.

"That's a very beautiful name. It means beloved." The child's eyes widened.

"I didn't know that." Ziva gave her a small smile, nodding.

"How old are you?" She asked, keeping one eye on the McGee and the man. Both were occupied discussing work, and the oldest girl watched Ziva warily.

"Eight. How old are you?" The child asked, and Ziva's dark eyes widened momentarily. The child blushed. "Sorry." But she chuckled softly, picking up her glass.

"Well, I am old enough to have seen _Anastasia_ and remember every word." She said, sipping her water. She turned to the girl, making sure the small camera she wore within the brooch on her dress got a good shot of the necklace the girl wore. It was a replica of the necklace in _Anastasia_, complete with the words, _Together in Paris_ painted on it. The child gasped excitedly.

"It's my favorite movie!" She replied softly. "My absolute favorite scene is when all the ghosts come out from the paintings and dance in the ballroom!" Ziva grinned.

"I loved that scene too." The dark-haired Israeli glanced at McGee, who's attention had briefly shifted to the older girl. He was talking with Reynolds about the child, giving mock advice on how to raise a child, probably from his experience raising Sarah as often as he had when they were teens. All too soon, dinner arrived, and by then, the entire table had loosened up and the adults were talking and the girls were making them laugh with their antics. When the band struck up a tune, McGee turned to the older girl. A moment passed before Reynolds allowed her to dance with McGee. Ziva watched as her partner took the younger girl's hand, holding her close. She looked up at him with a light in her eyes that Ziva had never seen before.

The younger girl turned to her. "What's your name?" It took a her a moment to realize the girl had spoken, and she glanced down at the child.

"My name?" The child nodded. "Anastasia." The girl's dark eye widened in surprise.

"_Really_? You're named after a princess!" Ziva chuckled; nodding.

"Yes, I am."

"Are you Russian?" She shook her head.

"No. I am Chilean-American. My family moved to America when I was ten. And Niall and I met at the Metropaliton Opera four years ago. We are getting married next May." She said, showing the child her ring. The little girl's eyes widened in amazement.

"_Wow!_ That's yours?" Ziva nodded. "Do you have any kids?"

"No. But one day we will." She replied, glancing at McGee, watching as he danced with the older girl.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

When they returned to their hotel room, McGee removed their cameras, downloaded the footage and tapes, and sent them off to NCIS. Then, he turned to Ziva, who was removing her simple gold earrings. She glanced up, to see him watching her in the mirror, a smile instantly appearing on her face. She turned to him, cocking an eyebrow. "What?" He shrugged, getting off the bed and going to her.

"You certainly kept your cool with the younger one tonight." He said, pulling her close and slipping his arms around her waist. She reached up, brushing a hand over his chest.

"And you seemed to be doing well with the older one." She replied. He shrugged.

"She likes horses. Sarah liked horses, so I was able to find common ground with her- because when we were kids, Sarah always made her come with her to see the horses at the stables when we were here. You look beautiful." He whispered, making her blush.

"_Toda_, Tim." She whispered, looking up at him, her gaze locking on his for a moment. He hadn't missed how she'd used his name instead of his surname, and he reached up, taking her face in his hands. She leaned close, but Tim pulled away at the soft _ping!_ coming from his laptop. As he took a seat on the bed, Ziva swallowed her disappointment and joined him. She glanced at him, feeling her heart constrict as he'd pulled away from her. She took a seat beside him, laying her head on his shoulder, as he opened up a screen, revealing Tony in MTAC.

"McMossad! What are you two doing here?"

"You called us." Tim replied. "We sent you the tapes and film from dinner-"

"Oh, right! Those! Abby's going through the images and voice recordings now-" He continued to ramble on before both McGee and Ziva's voices interrupted him.

_"Tony!"_ He stopped, looking up at the pair. It was then that he noticed the nice attire they were wearing.

"Whoa, where'd you two spend the last few hours? Dinner with the Queen?" They shared a glance, before rolling their eyes.

"The evidence, DiNozzo." McGee replied. Tony nodded, just as Abby burst into MTAC.

"Tony! Tony!" She skidded to a stop behind him, eyes lighting up when she saw McGee and Ziva. "Oh Ziva, you look so pretty! And Timmy! You're so handsome!"

_"Abby!"_ Ziva snapped, causing the Goth to stop rambling. "The results."

"Oh, right. Um, Timmy's right. Those are the girls. Amy and Elizabeth Samuels, ages eight and ten. We were able to run their images through facial recognition of the Missing Children's database, and they're both positive matches."

"Anything else? Perhaps on the information Tim got from Reynolds?" Ziva asked; Abby didn't miss the use of Tim's first name. Her head snapped up from her work and she stared at Ziva and Tim, dark eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I doubt it, Ziva. Small talk at most, with some information about what he did in the Marines. Everything- my conversation with Elizabeth while we were dancing- all of it, is on the tapes." Ziva rested her forehead to Tim's, and after a moment of awkward silence, Tony said,

"You two just keep getting information for us, McMossad." And without another word, he signed off.

* * *

Ziva leaned down, pressing a kiss to McGee's cheek. "I'll be back. I'm just going out to get breakfast." She whispered, before pulling on her light jacket and grabbing Tim's messenger bag. As she slipped out of the room, she heard soft snuffling, and turned, to see Amy sitting on the floor two doors down, in front of the hotel room she and her sister were being kept in by Reynolds. "Amy? What are you doing out here by yourself?" The child looked up, tears rushing down her cheeks.

"Princess Anastasia!" She cried, getting up and rushing to Ziva. She threw her arms around Ziva's shoulders as the woman knelt down to her level. Thankfully, Ziva caught the child, staring into her eyes.

"Hey, what is the matter?" The child sniffled, fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.

"He told me to wait out here."

"Your dad?" Ziva asked, forcing herself to pretend that she didn't know anything about this man or the situation these girls were in. It was hard, with such innocent victims. Amy shook her head.

"He's not our dad." Amy whispered. "Daddy's in Iraq. He took-" But Ziva laid a hand finger on the girl's lips. She moved towards the door, pressing her ear towards the seam, and listened, her eyes closing in despair as she realized what was happening. She pulled away, glancing at Amy, and then looking back towards her hotel room.

"I stepped out to get breakfast down at the cafe, and I was going to bring it back for Niall and I to share, but he is still asleep. So, how about we go down to the cafe and get something to eat, and you can tell me about your daddy, okay?" Amy nodded. And with one last glance at their door, she left, Amy balanced on her hip. She tried to think if she had the camera, but then remembered that her cell had a recorder on it. All she had to do was press play, lay it on the table beside her, and get Amy to talk. McGee could easily download it and send it off when she returned to the room.

* * *

Ziva watched as Amy's eyes widened at the giant muffin the waitress set in front of her. She glanced at Ziva, who nodded, before pulling off the wrapper and pulling it apart. Ziva set her phone on the table, ready to record, and after sipping her coffee, asked,

"What does your daddy do, Amy?" The child swallowed the bite of her muffin and glanced at Ziva.

"The man who says he's our daddy? The man who killed mommy? Or our real daddy?" Ziva started. She knew that the wife had been killed, but had Amy and Elizabeth actually_ witnessed_ it? No, no way that this innocent little girl could have witnessed her mother's brutal murder.

_Hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat, and then once on the ground, her head was bashed in with a meat tenderizer. Hit so hard, her skull was broken in eight places and her brain literally looked like ground beef._

"Your real daddy first." Ziva said, struggling to shake the image from her head. She sipped her coffee, watching the child carefully. Amy licked her lips and picked up her hot chocolate.

"He's a Marine. He's over in Iraq. He coaches Lizzie's softball team and taught me to ride a bike. He smells like wood because he likes to build stuff." Ziva chuckled softly, thinking of Gibbs.

"And your mommy?" She asked; the girl's eyes filled with tears, and she looked up at Ziva.

"She died. One of Daddy's marine friends came over to the house and mommy answered it. He hit her in the back of the head when she turned to get coffee for him, and then he took the meat hammer and kept hitting her in the back of the head when she was on the kitchen floor. Lizzie and I hid in the pantry, watching. And then he dropped the meat hammer and came over to the pantry and took us out of the house. We didn't even get to bring Sassy."

Sassy, the family's cocker spaniel puppy, if Ziva remembered correctly. She swallowed. So the girls had witnessed their mother's brutal murder.

"And the man who says he's your daddy?" She asked, voice thick with emotion. Amy looked up at her, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"He's mean. He says that Daddy has to confess to doing bad things before we can go home. He gives us ice cream if we're quiet and..." She leaned close; Ziva met her halfway across the table as the child whispered, "he hurts Lizzie."

"Hurts Lizzie _how_?" Ziva asked gently. The girl glanced at Ziva, before,

"He touches her. Down there. He says it's what grownups do because they like it. And sometimes he covers her mouth so she doesn't scream, and he says that he has to do it because he's a grown up." Ziva swallowed thickly. The fact that that... monster had subjected the girls to his perverse...

"And you, Amy? Does he touch you down there?" She asked softly. Amy glanced down at her muffin.

"He tries, but Lizzie won't let him. So she takes it." Ziva nodded, and after a moment, got up, grabbing her phone and returning it to her pocket before taking Amy's hand. She had to tell Tim immediately so he could tell the rest of the team.

* * *

Tim opened the door to find Ziva standing on the other side, Amy with her. "Zi... Nastya?" He amended, rolling up his sleeves. He was dressed in a dark button down and a pair of jeans, his hair still damp from his shower. "I wasn't aware that you'd left."

"I got breakfast, Ni." She said, holding up the bag of pastries and coffee, and then glanced at Amy. "And I ran into Amy in the hall, and took her out to breakfast at the cafe. We were discussing..._ princesses_." Ziva said, glancing from Amy to McGee and back. He nodded, understanding. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the door to the girl's hotel room opened and the suspect poked his head out.

"What the_ hell_ are you doing out here?" Amy glanced at Ziva, who turned a bright smile to the suspect as she walked Amy over to the room. She could see a tearful Elizabeth peering around him, and her blood boiled.

"I am sorry, Mr. Reynolds, but when I came out to get breakfast, I found Amy sitting outside the room waiting for me. She asked me if I was a real princess. So I took her down to the cafe and we had breakfast and I told her what it was like growing up in a castle with lots of servants. I hope that is okay." Reynolds glanced at Ziva, and finding nothing suspicious, grunted before turning to Amy.

"Tell me next time." He growled. "Wouldn't want you getting lost."

"Yes, Daddy." Amy whispered, glancing back at Ziva. After Reynolds ushered Elizabeth back into the room, Amy went to Ziva, throwing her arms around her. "Thank you, Princess Anastasia!" Ziva clutched the girl tight, tears in her own eyes as she reluctantly watched the child head back into the room, her countenance instantly changing as soon as she stepped through the door. Ziva turned back to Tim, who cocked his head. He held out a hand, and she took it, leaning up to kiss him gently on the cheek, feeling Amy's dark eyes watching them as the door closed, blocking them from the children.

* * *

"He rapes them, Tim." His head snapped up as the words came out of Ziva's mouth.

_"What?"_ He asked, setting the food on the table. She nodded, removing her jacket.

"Well, he tries with Amy, but Elizabeth won't let him, and she takes it instead." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and hit fast forwarded, before hitting play.

_"... he hurts Lizzie."_

_"Hurts Lizzie how?" _

_"He touches her. Down there. He says it's what grownups do because they like it. And sometimes he covers her mouth so she doesn't scream, and he says that he has to do it because he's a grown up."_ She saw Tim squirm, eyes closed, and quickly shut the recording off.

"They also... watched as Reynolds bashed their mother's head in with a meat tenderizer." She whispered. Tim sighed, shaking his head.

"I'll download it and send it off to Abby." He replied, as Ziva nodded.

Once the recording was sent off, they settled down to breakfast, moving to the bed. As Ziva settled beside Tim, who sat against the headboard, legs outstretched, she found herself wanting to settle between his legs and wrap his arms around her. They slept together, and he always wrapped an arm around her waist as they slept, holding her close. But that was just to keep up the appearance of their engagement. So why was she thinking this way now?

Instead, she shook her head and lounged back, shoulder against the headboard, watching him. A moment passed, before he asked,

"So, what shall we do today?" She thought a moment, trying to remember the various places he'd talked about visiting as a child. Eventually, she said,

"Granville Island?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Your answer will be in this chapter. **

**Thanks to Reader for reviewing 4 and 5; Sazzita and JonnyP86 for reviewing 4; anon, earthdragon and mcgeeksgirl for reviewing 5. **

Tim glanced at the shower before returning to brushing his teeth. "I do not understand how a man can rape two innocent little girls and not expect to be castrated." He stopped brushing his teeth, immediately rinsing and quickly washing his hands.

"Because men in this country are not castrated, Ziva." He replied, picking up a hand towel and drying his hands as the door to the shower opened as Ziva stepped out, reaching for a towel. Tim just happened to glance up at that moment, catching sight of Ziva's soft olive skin, beads of water causing goosebumps to rise as the cold water mixed with the warmth of the room. She met his gaze in the mirror, and smirked.

"Do you see something you like, McGee?" She teased gently, returning to the use of his surname. He quickly diverted his gaze, shaking his head. She sighed. Always the gentleman.

"No. Sorry, didn't mean to stare." As she grabbed a towel and began unfolding it to wrap around herself, she said,

"You do not need to be embarrassed, Tim."

"I'm not embarrassed, Ziva. I just... forgot that... that..." He stuttered.

"That I am a woman and you are a man? And therefore have desires that need to be fulfilled?" She asked, coming up to him. He glanced at her, his gaze lighting briefly on the brief glimpse of cleavage at the top of her towel, before diverting his gaze again. She watched him, silent, a light blush blooming on her cheeks, but for what, she didn't know.

"No!" He choked out, his voice breaking. He winced; his voice hadn't broken like that since he was fourteen. "No." He amended, shaking his head as he cleared his throat. "I just forgot that you were taking a shower, when I came in to brush my teeth-" She raised an eyebrow, but the laughter in her eyes betrayed her. _Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Don't look at her, otherwise you'll end up doing something you'll both regret._

Ziva shrugged. "I do not mind. I have shared bathrooms with men before, who had stared more than you, and who were not nearly as gentlemanly." He glanced at her, catching sight of a strand of wet hair, hanging over her shoulder. She tossed her head, the strand leaving her shoulder, a trail of water traveling down her chest, tracing a path down her goosebump-covered skin. For a moment, he wondered if her skin would taste as clean and soft as it looked, if the water on her body held subtle tastes of her skin-

_Don't look at her! You are _not_ Tony! You have morals, and Ziva is a lady, not a piece of meat._

She caught his gaze, tilting her head to the side. "Yes, Tim?" She asked softly. He opened his mouth to speak, but the muffled sound of the phone ringing stopped him.

"I'll go get that." She watched him flee the bathroom; a rush of cold air hitting her like a bucket of water.

* * *

"So Reynolds kills the wife, kidnaps the girls, and takes them to Canada. But why?" Ziva sipped her coffee; they sat in a small tea shop in Chinatown, going over the evidence. Instead of grabbing the girls the day before, Tim had taken Ziva to Grainville Island, where they'd spent the day wandering the streets, acting out a plan that would get the girls out of Reynolds' grasp. They'd also checked every store- finding evidence that when the girls were alone, Reynolds were on the Island, shopping for things most killers used: duck tape, trash bags, shovels. He'd used the Island to keep his prints out of Vancouver, so no one could trace his trail.

He'd just forgotten about NCIS. Tim- on a hunch- had taken Ziva's suggestion of the Island and after some searching, had managed to find the six stores Reynolds had shopped at; they'd pulled the security footage, the receipts, everything that gave greater image to the man they were trying to capture. After sending the evidence in, they'd concocted a plan to get the girls away from Reynolds- and it took Tim all night to get Ziva to see reason and wait to enact it the next day; reminding her that if they burst in there with guns blazing, he'd do something drastic and most likely kill the girls. It could be disasterous for both the girls and NCIS if they bungled this case.

So they'd followed Reynolds all afternoon; he hadn't done much, just take Amy and Elizabeth to Stanley Park, so Tim and Ziva had followed, pretending to be out for a stroll when they bumped into the trio. Amy had rushed to Ziva, throwing her arms around her waist, while Elizabeth hung back, glancing from Reynolds to Tim and Ziva and back. It was evident that the older girl was broken- in only a few short weeks, she'd gone from a child to a kidnap victim and sex slave, trying to protect her little sister. Tim, taking his cue from Ziva, had gone to Reynolds, asking about his time in the Marines, saying that he himself had considered a career in the military before getting a technical degree.

Over the course of the afternoon, they'd gotten several things on tape and recorded with subltly prying conversations and chitchat, and Ziva had managed to keep Amy distracted long enough for Tim to corner Reynolds and allow for Elizabeth to sneak away and join her sister; once then, she took both girls further down the path, keeping a tight hold on them. From a safe distance away, Ziva called the police-

And the shit hit the fan.

Police cars showed up with sirens blaring, the Canadian version of SWAT, and their FBI counterpart. Reynolds whom Tim had been keeping distracted, had fled in the chaos.

"Because he wanted to. He wants Daddy to admit to stuff that happened in Iraq." Ziva and Tim looked up as Elizabeth and Amy came back from the bathroom. Amy instantly climbed into Ziva's lap, burying her face in her shoulder.

"Why did you take us away from him?" She asked, looking up at Ziva. The woman sighed, biting her lip.

"Because we needed to get you away from him. We just had to-" Tim started, but stopped at ringing. He glanced at his phone.

"Gibbs." He mouthed, before getting up and excusing himself to take the call. Once the door closed behind him, he opened the phone. "Hey Boss... No, we got the girls... no... it was surprisingly easy... yeah... yes, Ziva and I are well aware of that... we don't exactly have a plan, but we're working on one. Yes, we'll move to the safe house... yes, I know! We will..."

* * *

Elizabeth watched Ziva with her sister, searching for something. She didn't fully trust the couple, but they seemed better than Reynolds. They'd at least given them both something hot to eat. But how was she to know that the pair wouldn't return them to Reynolds? How could she be sure that they weren't out to get their dad to confess to crimes, too? Or that the man would rape her like Reynolds had done? The was something off about the woman and her companion, and she thought she knew what it was.

A moment passed, before she asked, "Your name isn't Anastasia, is it?" Ziva glanced at Elizabeth and then Amy and back. A moment passed, before she glanced out the window, and then sighed.

"No." She licked her lips. "It is not."

"What is your name?" She licked her lips.

"My name is Ziva David. I am an NCIS Special Agent."

"NCIS?" Amy asked, looking up at her. Ziva nodded.

"It's the Naval police, Amy." Elizabeth whispered. Ziva's dark eyes met the girl's, and she nodded, silent.

"Yes."

"Why are you in Canada?" In a soft whisper, Ziva replied,

"To bring you home to your dad." Tears started flowing down Elizabeth's face; Tim, returning from his phone call, caught the tale end of the conversation, and knelt next to the older girl.

"Hey, Elizabeth, what's wrong?" The girl choked on a sob, and nodded to Ziva. Tim immediately turned to his partner. "What did you do, Nas-" But Ziva's soft whisper stopped him.

"They know, Tim." He met her gaze. "Elizabeth figured it out."


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Tim's eyebrows rose in surprise. He glanced from Ziva to Elizabeth and back. A moment passed, before he took a seat next to Elizabeth. "Can... can I ask you how you figured it out?" The girl swallowed.

"You just seem like police officers." She whispered. "And those names seemed fake." He nodded. "Who are you?" He caught Ziva's gaze, before turning back to Elizabeth.

"I'm Special Agent Timothy McGee, and this is my partner, Special Agent Ziva David. We're NCIS. We were sent to bring you home."

"So why the fake names?" Elizabeth asked. She saw the two agents share a glance, before Tim spoke.

"We needed to get closer to Reynolds without alerting him to the fact that we're federal agents-"

"So you went undercover?" Ziva and Tim both nodded. "Will you still have to use the fake names?"

"We'll have to until we get you back to your dad. Once the case is closed and Reynolds is in custody, then we won't use the names anymore." The girl nodded.

"What do we do now?" Ziva spoke up this time, adjusting her hold on Amy.

"We are going to move you to a safe house on Vancouver Island."

"Will you be with us, Princess Anastasia?" Amy asked, looking up at Ziva. She'd been listening, but she didn't fully grasp that the names were fake.

"Of course we will. It is our job to stay with you until you are back with your dad."

"What's a safe house?" Amy asked, turning to Tim. He swallowed, meeting Ziva's gaze. They locked eyes, an entire conversation flashing between their gazes. Finally, Tim turned to Elizabeth.

"It is a secret place that we are going to hide you until we catch Reynolds and get you home." He replied, watching her. The child swallowed.

"Can we trust you?" She asked quietly; Tim saw the blatant fear in the child's eyes. After everything she'd been through, she couldn't even fully trust her rescuers, especially after they'd lied like they had. Both Tim and Ziva knew what it was like to lose trust, they'd both been in similiar situations; trust was an easy thing to lose, and an even harder thing to earn back. They knew that Elizabeth was just trying to protect Amy; like Ziva had tried to protect Ari, like Tim had tried to protect Sarah...

"Yes." He whispered, staring into her eyes. "We lied because we had no other choice. If we went after you screaming that we were federal agents, Reynolds would have most likely killed you both. We had to lie in order to gain his trust and yours. You have to believe me, Elizabeth, we're the good guys." Elizabeth glanced at Amy, who had curled up in Ziva's lap, her head on Ziva's shoulder. A moment passed, before she turned back to Tim. She held out her hand, saying,

"You promise we'll get to see Daddy again? Pinky promise?" He reached up, their pinkies locking in a pinky swear.

"I promise." He whispered.

* * *

"Tim and I have the girls, we are moving them to the safe house now. We will also be tracking Reynolds' movements- he has been searching for the girls... yes, Gibbs, we checked out as soon as we got the girls... I know, Gibbs. We will protect them... we have been tracking him since we came up here..." Amy glanced back at Ziva as Tim led them into the small cottage on Vancouver Island that was NCIS' safe house. Tim and Ziva had stopped by the local police station, asking for a BOLO to be put out on Reynolds. Now that the girls were no longer with him, they wanted every precaution possible; he was dangerous, and the girls needed protection if they weren't there.

The front door closed and Ziva slipped her phone back into her pocket. "What did Gibbs say?" Tim asked, causing Elizabeth and Amy to turn back.

"Gibbs?" Elizabeth asked. Tim and Ziva glanced at her.

"Our boss." Ziva replied. "He told me that they will have FBI waiting at Customs when we get there, and that the Canadian police are doing all they can to find Reynolds, but that the trail has gone cold. They are looking for new leads as we speak. Until then, it is up to us to keep the girls safe." She said, going to the kitchen and grabbing four glasses which she instantly filled with water.

"So, will you have to lie again?" Elizabeth asked. "Use your fake names?" Ziva and Tim shared a look, before he nodded.

"Yes."

"And what about us?" He met Ziva's eyes, finding her just as caught off guard as he was.

"We will have to tweak our story a bit. But... in the end, if anyone asks, you are _Anastasia_'s nieces and we brought you up here for vacation. Okay?" The girls nodded, silent. "Good." He shook his head as Ziva held a glass of water out to him, and instead, wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "I'm gonna dash over to the store and pick up something for dinner, okay?" Ziva nodded, surprised as Tim kissed her quickly. "You girls mind Ziva, okay? If you don't, she can do some very bad things to you with that pink hair bow." Both girls swallowed, as Tim left the cottage, turning to Ziva. She gave them both a soft smile.

* * *

"So tell me, what does your daddy do in Iraq?" Ziva asked, as she laid an 'I' down on the Scrabble board. Elizabeth laid her head on her knees, thinking.

"He's a marine. The bad man told us that his brother-in-law wasn't going to get caught for doing bad things over there, and that Daddy had to confess to things he didn't do." Amy said before her sister could. Tim glanced at Ziva as he settled beside Elizabeth on the sofa. They'd taken the girl to have a rape kit done, as well has having both girls examined and cleared. Now, they just had to get past the emotional scars.

"Why would your daddy need to confess to crimes he didn't commit?" Tim asked, glancing at Ziva, even though they both knew the answer. Elizabeth looked up at Tim.

"So his brother-in-law wouldn't go to jail." She replied.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Sazzita for reviewing 6 and 7; and taijah321 for reviewing 6.**

"They are both sound asleep." Tim looked up from his book as Ziva joined him in their room. "It took me a while, but a lullaby finally put them both to sleep." She said, slipping into bed beside him. He laid his book on the nightstand, and turned back to her. A moment passed, before she leaned close, pressing her lips softly to his. He moved to pull away, but she held tight, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Ziva, we shouldn't-" She nodded.

"I know, but... but I do not want to stop." She whispered, nudging her nose against his. He stared into her dark eyes. She unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders as her mouth met his again. She drank him in like she was devouring water from a stream, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. She had to stop this; they were partners, they had no relationship other than at work-

"I've been wanting to do this for four years." He whispered, gently laying her back on the bed. She nodded her agreement, deepening the kiss. All the subtle glances, the touches, the kisses and awkward conversation that they'd gone through on this mission had finally culminated; throw in the four years of glances and silent conversations that had filled their working hours, and this was expected to happen.

"So have I." She whispered, meeting his lips. It had happened with Gibbs and Jenny in Paris...

He pressed a kiss to her neck as he pulled her blouse from her body, the taste of her soft olive skin assaulting his taste buds like lightning. They knew better, but with the threat of facing a wanted kidnapping rapist hanging over their heads, they had to release the tension some how. But the fact that they'd loved each other for years, that their attraction had been instant...

* * *

"You sure you don't want me to go shopping?" Tim asked, as Ziva slung her bag over her shoulder. She turned dark eyes to him, giving him one of her looks before gently slapping his cheek.

"I shall not be gone long. You stay with the girls." She leaned close, capturing his lips in a soft kiss, which had both girls giggling from their place on the sofa. Ziva gave the girls a soft smile before leaving. As Tim turned back to the girls, Amy asked,

"Do you love her?" The question caught Tim off-guard, and he started. A moment passed, before he stammered,

"Ziva and I are just friends."

"Friends don't kiss." Amy said, giggling. A blush briefly colored Tim's cheeks, and he went to the girls, joining them on the sofa. They'd been coloring, and he leaned over the books, studying them, even as Amy climbed into his lap.

"Those are very pretty pictures. Are they for your daddy?" The girls nodded. He gave them both a small smile. "You can give them to him as soon as we get you home."

* * *

Ziva hurried across the street, grocery bags in her hands. She had one more place to stop at before she returned to the safe house, and once done, she could head back and alert Tim, Gibbs and the rest of the team about the sightings of Reynolds. As she rounded the corner and headed down the sidewalk, headed for the police station, someone grabbed her from behind, stuffing a chloroform-filled handkerchief in her mouth. With her distracted by her destination, she hadn't noticed Reynolds following her.

* * *

Tim glanced at the clock on the wall. "Something wrong, McClock?" Tony asked; Tim turned back to the camera, he'd been briefing Tony on the last few days- the girls' rescue and their move to the safe house on Vancouver Island.

"Ziva's not back yet." He replied. Tony quirked an eyebrow.

"And that's a problem because-?" He asked, his eyes narrowing. Whenever he'd asked about Ziva or Tim- depending on who he was talking to- the other would avoid the conversation or switch topics. It was almost like the pair had their own secret code that they'd tapped into, revealing only the information the other deemed appropriate. Tony watched his partner. Something was up, he knew it, he just didn't know _what_. But, like any good agent, he'd figure it out.

"Because... said she'd be back soon." Tim replied, distracted as he turned his attention back to the door. A moment passed, before he grabbed his cell and quickly dialed Ziva's number. "She's not picking up." He told Tony after getting her voicemail.

"You said she was grocery shopping-"

"Yeah, but this isn't like Ziva. She's never gone this long." Tony rolled his eyes.

"I think you're overreacting, McWorrisome." He replied, but Tim shook his head. "She's probably just running late-"

"No, Tony, she's not. Ziva said when she left that she'd be back by five. It's six, and she's not back yet. Something's wrong. Something's really wrong."

* * *

Ziva awoke, jerking awake; she struggled to sit up, but found herself unable to. Everything was black fog, and as it slowly cleared, she found herself chained to an old heater. Suddenly, everything came rushing back. She'd been on her way to the police, to give them the information on Reynolds so they could conduct a search of the area when she'd been grabbed from behind, and something stuffed in her mouth.

"You're up." Her head jerked to the side, and she laid eye on Reynolds. He made his way towards her, kneeling next to her. "I know you and your _'fiance'_ are federal agents. But what I don't know, is where you took Amy and Elizabeth. And I need to know, if I'm going to clear my brother-in-law's name." He grabbed her dark curls, pulling her close. Ziva took a deep breath.

"Those girls are safe. You cannot hurt them anymore." He chuckled, moving as if to get up, when he slashed her across the cheek with something. She hissed, looking up at him as he stood and leaned close, his breath hot on her skin.

"But I can hurt you, and your _partner_." He whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Thanks to JonnyP86, Sazzita and mcgeeksgirl for reviewing 8; Reader for reviewing 6, 7 and 8.**

"A federal agent, taken by a fugitive? How can we be sure this isn't some sort of setup?" Gibbs slammed his hand on Vance's desk.

"God damn it, Leon! We have witnesses on Vancouver Island that say they saw a woman matching Ziva's description being snatched off the street!" The director sat back in his chair, watching the older man; he kept silent. "I told you, that if anything happened to them, that I would hold you responsible." Gibbs growled. "Ziva is missing. And I am holding _you_ responsible."

"We can't do anything until we're certain." He replied. Gibbs moved to the door. He turned back.

"_Tim_ is certain. He's her partner. He knows Ziva better than anyone. If she dies at Reynolds' hand, Leon, it's_ your hands_ that her blood will be on."

The door slamming punctuated the statement as Gibbs stormed off.

* * *

Tim glanced at the girls; both sound asleep, curled around each other like kittens. He sighed. He couldn't sleep; hadn't been able to since Ziva had been taken. Though only six hours had passed, he felt responsible. He headed into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table, going over the evidence. If Ziva died-

He looked up; a moment passed, as he slowly got up, going to the front door. Something was scratching against the wood... the scent of smoke began to fill his nose, and he rushed back towards the bedroom, realizing what was happening. He had to get the girls out before-

Quickly, he grabbed both Amy and Elizabeth, rushing for the back door. The next few minutes were a blur, as he rushed into and down the street, the sounds of an explosion filling his ears. When he turned back, both girls were fully awake and clutching tight to him. Green eyes wide, he watched as their safe house was engulfed in flames. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to both girls. "Are you two okay?" They nodded.

"Why did they do that?" Amy asked, as he shifted her on his hip. He sighed.

"Reynolds did it. I think to send a message."

* * *

Ziva looked up, as Reynolds made his way towards her. "Your partner and those two girls aren't going anywhere except the Vancouver Island morgue." He said, pride in his voice. She swallowed, squirming as she realized what he was implying. A moment passed before she shook her head.

"They are not. They are safe- all three of them. Tim would have gotten the girls out-" But Reynolds grabbed her hair, holding her up as he held a knife to her throat. In the last six hours, she'd been beaten, threatened and assaulted, to no avail. She'd been trained well; giving up secrets wasn't a priority, staying alive and saving others was. So she'd kept quiet, certain he would never find the house.

Apparently, she'd been wrong.

"Your safe house is ablaze, Agent. No one got out of that inferno alive." She shook her head.

"No. No, it is not true." He grinned, gently releasing his grip on her hair to stroke the dark curls.

"Oh, but I'm afraid it is, Agent. Your partner and those two girls are long gone. So that just leaves you, as my leverage." Ziva took a deep breath, struggling to keep her heart from breaking.

"What do yout want? Amy told me that you want their father to confess. Confess to what?" He stopped stroking her hair, watching her for a moment. "What is so important that you would kill a woman and kidnap her two little girls, let alone bring them all the way to Canada?"

His gaze turned hard, and he pulled away. "Their father committed war crimes over in Iraq on his last tour. My brother-in-law witnessed them, and tried to get him to confess, but Samuels' has refused, saying he has done nothing. Instead, he blames my brother-in-law, who has done nothing wrong. He is being blamed by that _bastard_ Samuels." Ziva filed the information away for later, and watched as the Reynolds got up. "So until Samuels confesses, you are my leverage."

She watched his disappear, before leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "It cannot be true. They cannot be gone. Tim is my partner. I would know... I would know..." And there, in the silence of her captivity, she let herself cry.

* * *

"Where are we?" Amy clutched to Tim's neck as they entered the police station. Elizabeth held tight to Tim's hand, watching silently. Several members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who'd been informed of the role NCIS was playing in getting the girls back and apprehending Reynolds, stood as the NCIS agent entered the building, the two kidnapped girls holding tight to him. Instantly, Officer Blackburn was up and by Tim's side, reaching to take Amy from Tim so he could make a call to Gibbs and Vance. But Amy clung to the agent, whimpering softly, shaking her head as she buried her face in Tim's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Officer Blackburn. We've just gone through-"

"The house fire, I know. We've got our best teams on it as we speak, Agent McGee." Tim nodded, and then glanced down at Amy and Elizabeth.

"I need to make a quick call to my boss, in D.C., okay girls? So, Officer Blackburn is going to take you to the break room and fix you some hot chocolate, okay?" A moment passed, before Elizabeth nodded, asking,

"You'll come back, right?" He met her gaze.

"Of course. All I have to do is make a call, and then I will be back with you." He handed Amy over to Officer Blackburn, and then gave Elizabeth a gentle push. Once they were gone, Tim pulled his phone from his pocket and slipped out of the building. He quickly dialed a number, praying the person on the other end would pick up.

"'ello?"

"Tony! It's Tim. Listen, I need you to look something up for me..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Thanks to Sazzita for reviewing 9.**

"Okay, thanks, Tony. Yeah, the girls are fine... yeah, they'll be at Customs for you and Gibbs... but first I need to get Ziva back. I'll be in touch with you when I can." As he snapped his phone shut, he rolled his shoulders and headed back into the station. This wasn't going to be easy, but he had to do it. He _had_ to get his partner back, even if it meant putting his own life in danger. He wasn't going to leave Ziva, he couldn't. He loved her too much to abandon her.

As he entered the station, Officer Blackburn came out of the lounge area, meeting him halfway. "Where are the girls?"

"Both sound asleep, Agent McGee." Tim nodded and craned his neck to see the door.

"Can I see them?" He nodded, stepping out of the way so Tim could check on the girls.

"Last door on your left."

As he opened the door and slipped inside, the sight that hit him was one that made his heart pound. The girls lay on one of the beds, curled tight together like sleeping puppies or kittens, a blanket tucked around them. A moment passed as he headed towards the bed and knelt down. He hated to leave them, but now that he had information on where Ziva was, he couldn't just leave her. She ws his partner, his best friend...

_And,_ a small part of him thought,_ hopefully more, some day._

But how he'd ended up going from her best friend to her love in four short years was beyond him at that moment. Maybe it was the situation they'd found themselves in, or the fact that they'd been dancing around each other for years. Or maybe it was the two girls they'd risked their lives for, sleeping peacefully on the bed before him. Either way, he owed it to Ziva to bring her home; it should be the four of them at Customs, back at NCIS, reuinting with her parents, not Tim and the girls, with Ziva forgotten somewhere on Vancouver Island, broken and destroyed, a drop in everyone's memory.

Gently, he reached out, stroking Elizabeth's hair back from her face. "I'll get you both back to your dad, I promise. But there's something I have to do first. I have to get my partner. We aren't leaving Vancouver without her. I'll be back as soon as I can." And he pressed a kiss to both Amy and Elizabeth's heads, before getting up and going to the door.

"Don't go." He stopped, turning back as Elizabeth turned sleepy eyes to him. He went back to her, kneeling next to the bed. The child sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"You're supposed to be asleep." She yawned. "Go back to sleep, Elizabeth."

"You can't go." She replied. A moment passed, before he reached up, taking her face in his hands.

"I have too, Elizabeth." He whispered, looking into her face. "Ziva is my partner. She's my best friend, and I can't just leave her here in Reynolds' hands. I have to get her back. We promised when we took this assignment that we would look out for each other, and have each others' six."

"Six?" She asked, not that familiar with the miltary term. Tim nodded.

"It means to have her back." He took her hand, squeezing gently. "I've had her back for four years, and I can't stop now. I have to bring her home. And once I do, we will take you home to your dad. Okay? I promise. But first, I have to get Ziva back." A moment passed, before she nodded.

"You promise you'll come back?" She asked, holding out her hand. Tim glanced down, before taking her pinky in his and squeezing.

"Promise." As he stood and headed to the door, her next question stopped him cold.

"Do you love her?" Tim swallowed, turning back to her. She was a wise child, even at such a young age, she was wise beyond her years. He could see it in her eyes; for all she'd been through, for all the sexual abuse she'd suffered at the hands of Reynolds, she was a bright child, with a way of looking at the world that most adults didn't possess. "You love her, don't you? Your partner?" A moment passed, before he returned to her and nodded.

"Yes. I do." She watched him.

"Have you told her?"

"No, I... I haven't." He whispered, voice thick with emotion. She reached out, lifting his chin.

"Maybe you should." He took her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"I will. And I will be back as soon as I can. Now, go back to bed and get some sleep." He helped her back into bed by her sister and tucked the covers around her, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "Ziva and I will be back as soon as possible."

* * *

Ziva didn't look up. She turned her head, laying against the heater. She didn't say a word as Reynolds grabbed her roughly and stripped her of her clothes, forcing himself onto her. Hours had turned into the days; she'd already given up hope. The news that the girls and her partner had died in the inferno that had been their safe house had broken the once tough Mossad officer. She'd resigned herself to her fate, allowing Reynolds to torture her during the day, and dreaming of Tim at night.

Memories of their night of passion often filled her head as she lay by the window. Was he always that gentle, or was it just because it was her? Had he meant what he'd said, about the torch he'd been holding, that he thought she hadn't returned? For four years- four long, _agonizing years_- he'd carried a torch for her, watching her flirt with Tony and pretend to have feelings for the senior agent, when in reality, her feelings for Tony were nothing more than a sham. Tony was her friend, her older brother, nothing more. _Tim_ was the one she was in love with, the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Couldn't Tim see that?

But now... now, he never would, because he hadn't survived that blaze. He, and those two girls, were dead.

And it was all her fault.


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

He'd staked out the abandoned building for the last two days, planning and watching. At some point, he'd watched Reynolds leave the building, and after making sure he was good and gone, Tim had slipped out of the car and into the building. It was an old warehouse, two story at least, that had once been an old ammunitions plant during the second war. As he silently moved toward the second floor, he kicked bullets and gun parts aside, noting the huge assembly line machines and belts littered about. The perfect place to keep a victim.

Silently, he ran calculations in his head. Ziva had been taken little under a week ago, and it had taken him a day to get to the northern most tip of the island, where the old armory building was. He'd staked out the building for two days, gathering supplies and alerting police in the small town in which Reynolds now resided. Now, he just needed to find her and get her out of there and back to the girls so they could all go home.

As he came upon the second floor, he heard slight movement in a room down the hall, and slowly made his way towards it, gun drawn. If Reynolds was back...

But the sight that met his made his blood run cold.

Ziva, chained to an old heater, beaten and bloody and pale. Glancing behind him, he slipped into the room, shut the door, and rushed to her. The room was sparsely decorated, but there was what appeared to be an old mattress on the floor and a coat closet in the far corner. "Ziva." Quickly, he holstered his gun and rushed to her side. She flinched upon hearing his footsteps, and tried to pull away. "Ziva, it's okay. It's me. It's Tim." Slowly, her eyes began to open, and she looked up at him.

"Tim?" He nodded, taking her face in his hand.

"Yeah."

"You died. In... fire..." She whispered, her voice weak. He shook his head.

"No, no, Ziva. We got out. The girls and I got out. We're okay. I promise." She searched his gaze, but not believeing it. After a moment, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. When he finally pulled away, she whispered,

"I thought... Reynolds said..."

"It's not true. I managed to get the girls out before it exploded. They're both fine- the RCMP are watching over them. I came to get you."

"Why?" She breathed, tears in her eyes.

"Because you're my partner. I've got your six." He replied, kissing her gently one last time before working on her restraints. Once she was free, he helped her to her feet. "Now let's get you out of here." He wrapped his arms tight around her waist, helping her to the doorway. As they made it out to the hall, Tim stopped, holding his breath. "Shh. Ziva, hold still." They stood where they were, listening. When whatever Tim had heard stopped, they continued on.

"Just where the hell do you think you're going?" He looked up, to see Reynolds, making his way towards them, gun aimed.

* * *

Tim pushed Ziva to the ground, landing on top of her and holding her down as bullets flew over their ears. He glanced down at her. "The next room, now, Ziva!"

She did as ordered, managing to get to the closest room, slamming the door. As Tim stood, Reynold's raised his arm to fire, but Tim managed to knock it out of his hands. Thank God for Ziva and their MMA lessons on the weekends. Tim quickly holstered his gun, grabbing hold of the man. The next few minutes passed in a blur of noise and dust and fighting, with Tim finally gaining the upper hand. A shot rang out, and he looked down, to see Reynolds laying on the ground, blood quickly beginning to color his shirt.

Ziva, upon hearing the gunshot, pulled the door opened and stumbled out. Reynolds lay on the floor at Tim's feet, bleeding from a gunshot wound. Tim quickly pulled his phone out, handing it to Ziva. "Hit the record button, Ziva." She did as told, mirroring Tim as he knelt down, asking, "What was so important that you had to kidnap two innocent girls?"

Reynolds turned his head to face Tim, and in a gasp, said, "Couldn't have my brother-in-law going to prison."

"Prison? What for?"

"War crimes... Ted... rape of Iraqi women... firing on... peaceful protesting Iraqi students... poison gas... couldn't let him... go to prison..." Tim reached down, grabbing the front of his shirt, his hands becoming stained with blood.

"You wanted to frame Samuels... marine buddies?" Reynolds nodded. "So you kidnapped the girls and killed their mother to get Samuels to confess to_ war crimes_?"

"Yes." Reynolds choked out. With one last shuddering breath, his eyes closed. Ziva looked up at Tim as she stopped recording.

"Call RCMP. Tell them we have Reynolds."

* * *

It was a slow trek down to the waiting ambulances. The body had already been removed, the crime scene secured, and Tim and Ziva's statements taken. He kept his arm tight around her waist as they moved. Eventually, they made it outside, finding themselves swarmed by reporters and police alike. After being checked out, they were shuffled back to the station, to be reunited with the girls.

Elizabeth looked up as the door opened. They'd been waiting for Tim to return, and as soon as she saw a head of sandy hair, she rushed off, Amy following. "You're back!" The child threw her arms around Tim, and he knelt down, grunting softly as he did so, to meet her gaze.

"I promised, didn't I?" He asked, and she nodded, wrapping him in a hug.

"Did you tell her?" She asked softly, pulling away. Tim bit his lip, shaking a head.

"I didn't get a chance."

"Did not get a chance to tell me what?" Ziva asked, as Tim stood. She looked from Elizabeth to Tim and back. Amy clung to her legs, holding tight to her.

"He loves you." Amy said, looking up at Ziva. The former Mossad agent glanced down at the child, before turning back to her partner. Tim wouldn't meet her gaze.

"But he's afraid you don't love him back." Elizabeth added, watching the couple closely. It was evident that they were in love with each other, and the fact that she and her sister had to try to push the two agents together wasn't lost on the child; she was a very smart little girl, after all.

"Tim? Is this true?" He swallowed, nodding slowly.

"Yes, Ziva. It is." Taking a deep breath, he turned away, waiting for the rejection to come. But all she did, was lay a finger under his chin and lift his face to hers. When they locked eyes, hers were shining with unshed tears. As she took his face in her hands and brought her lips to his, she whispered,

"I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**Thanks to Sazzita for reviewing 10 and 11.**

Ziva laid her head on his shoulder. After getting back to the station, they'd boarded the private plane NCIS had commandeered to take them and the girls home. Neither Tim nor Ziva had had a chance to clean up, so they sat together in silence, as the girls chattered softly together. He took her hand, lacing their fingers.

"Why did you come after me, Tim?" She asked, looking up at him. He met her gaze.

"Because I love you." She nodded.

"When I heard the gunshot... I thought..." She buried her face in his shoulder. He squeezed her hand.

"It's okay. I'm okay. We're okay."

* * *

Gibbs looked up. His agents were supposed to be exiting the plane now. As soon as Vance had gotten word that Reynolds was dead and the girls were okay, he'd brought Samuels home. Reynolds' brother-in-law had been arrested and charged with war crimes, and now, Samuels was waiting for his daughters to arrive. He glanced at Gibbs. Tony, Abby and the rest of the team were there, waiting for their teammates as well.

Finally, they saw a group exiting the terminal. The girls were flanked by RCMP, and they took off running when they laid eyes on their father. _"Daddy!"_ Samuels knelt down, accepting his beloved daughters into his arms. Both girls buried their faces in his shirt, their tears starting. As Gibbs watched the tearful, happy reunion, he thought back on his own family, on Shannon and Kelly, and realized that Samuels had been spared having to bury his daughters with his wife.

"They helped us, Daddy! Mr. Niall and Princess Anastasia!" Amy said, pulling away. Samuels raised his eyebrows.

"They're NCIS agents, Daddy. They protected us, and when one of them got captured, he saved her. He said he wouldn't leave her." Elizabeth said. Samuels nodded, glancing back at Gibbs and Vance.

"Where are our probie and ninja?" Tony asked, craning his neck to see. "I don't see them. Are you sure they were on the plane?" He asked, turning to the girls. Elizabeth nodded.

"They sat with us." She said, turning back to search for them.

* * *

Tim glanced at Ziva. He gave her a small smile, before reaching up and taking her face in his hands. They had let the girls go ahead of them into the terminal, taking their time as they left the plane. Now, they stood just steps from entering the airport, gathering their thoughts and trying to figure out what to do in regards to their relationship. He gently brushed his fingers over the apples of her cheeks, searching her eyes for a moment, before leaning down and kissing her deeply.

"I know they were here!" They broke apart at Eliabeth's upset voice and made their way to the entrance of the terminal.

Gibbs looked up in time to see his agents step out of the terminal. Slowly, carefully, Tim and Ziva made their way into the waiting area. Hands held tight together, they walked slowly, and as they got closer, Gibbs was able to see that his agents had obviously suffered.

Both were a mess. Both had caked blood on their bodies; Tim's shirt was ripped, and he had several bruises forming and coloring, all in various shades of healing. His lower lip- much like Ziva's- was busted open, and he had a black eye. There was a hole in the shoulder of his jacket, and Gibbs could tell that the shoulder was injured by the way he held it. He walked with a limp, as though an ankle was broken, and his shirt was covered in blood, dust, dirt and God knew what else.

And Ziva was in no better shape.

She was just as bruised as Tim, if not moreso. Her clothing was ripped and she was pale; he could see bruises on her skin, and she appeared to be having some trouble breathing. Her lip was also split open, and her nose appeared to have been broken at one point. There was a gash on her cheek, open and infected. Her long dark hair was down in strings around her face, and there was blood on her clothing, much like on Tim's.

They held tight to each other, as if they were afraid to let the other go.

A moment passed, before Gibbs realized that something more had happened to Ziva than he could see. Rape? Assault? Attempted murder? What the hell had happened to his agents that they would return stateside looking like they'd both been dragged through a meat grinder multiple times? What had they gone through in Vancouver that made Tim grip Ziva's hand so tightly, or cause Ziva to stay glued to his side like two pieces of paper stuck together?

He'd seen the signs of budding romance whenever he'd talked to his agents, but had decided that it would go away as the assignment wore on. Evidently, it hadn't. But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe they needed each other now, to get over what they'd gone through. He watched as Tim pulled Ziva close- closer than should be humanly possible. He whispered something to her, and she nodded, nudging her nose against his in the process. She laced their fingers, whispered something back to him. He nodded, holding her closer as they talked in hushed tones.

"Princess Anastasia!" He watched as his agents looked up, their quiet conversation broken. Amy rushed from her father towards the two, and as she got closer, Ziva knelt down, wrapping the girl in a hug, never releasing Tim's hand. When she stood, Samuels stood before them, Elizabeth in his arms. He held out a hand.

"Thank you, both of you, for bringing my girls back to me. Thank you so, so much." They nodded softly, brushing off the praise.

As they watched Samuels and his daughters leave, the rest of the team joined them. "You look like hell, McMossad." Tony said gently. Both Tim and Ziva gave him nervous, small smiles.

"Are you two okay?" Abby asked, going to the couple. Tim and Ziva shared a glance, before finding themselves the object of Abby's study. She gently brushed the fingers of both hands over first Tim's face and then Ziva's, as if making sure they were really there, before wrapping her arms around them both. It was only then that they heard the applause, coming from the other members of their team, their director, the officers of the RCMP, the FBI, the other military personnel to meet them there to check over the girls.

As Abby pulled away, Tim removed his phone from his pocket, and pressed it into Abby's hands. "It's all there. His confession. It's all there." And without another word, he tugged Ziva past Abby, past everyone gathered to meet them. Several others turned to watch the couple, Gibbs included. He watched, silent, as the pair left the boarding area, eventually disappearing around a corner and out of sight.

"Boss?" He turned back to Tony. "Should we go after them?"

He shook his head. "No. Give them some space. After what they've been through, they need it." _And each other._


End file.
